READ THE CITIZENS' VOICE

Digital Only Subscription
Read the digital e-Edition of The Citizens' Voice on your PC or mobile device, and have 24/7 access to breaking news, local sports, contests, and more at citizensvoice.com or on our mobile apps.

Digital Services
Have news alerts sent to your mobile device or email, read the e-Edition, sign up for daily newsletters, enter contests, take quizzes, download our mobile apps and see the latest e-circulars.

Contact Us
See department contacts, frequently asked questions, request customer service support, submit a photo or place an ad.

Kathy Griffin doesn't hide from controversy

Article Tools

Kathy Griffin doesn't mind if people protest her appearances - in fact, she requests it.

"I do love a protest," the Grammy-winning comedian said, ticking down her dream protester list. "Maybe a birther or two. Maybe some birthers could show up with some signs," she said. "It can't be that hard to get a couple of birthers to show up with some signs that say, 'If you're at the Kathy Griffin show, you're going to hell."

Griffin will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Wilkes-Barre.

Griffin hopes the people of Wilkes-Barre are open-minded enough for an evening of negativity, swearing and inappropriateness.

"I feel that positivity is overrated. Sometimes, you just gotta go to the Kirby and let some steam off and that is why I love the live experience," she said. "As much as I love doing television specials, there's nothing like the live experience. So, tell the people of Wilkes-Barre, leave the kids at home. This is not a children's show. This is not Blue Man Group or The Lion King. This is evening that is not for the faint of heart. Come with an open mind."

As she often does, Griffin invited her 93-year-old mother Maggie Griffin to chime in during her interview.

"She's a living legend, and she's halfway through a box of Franzia, so don't judge," Kathy Griffin said, adding her mother is always a surprise. "I don't know what she's going to say. She's like Lindsay Lohan. Ma, I don't know what she's going to do from one minute to the next."

To prove her point, Griffin asked her mom what she thinks about Lohan's mother, Dina.

"I think she should grow up," Maggie Griffin said.

"There's an exclusive," Griffin said. "She doesn't hold back. Whatever it is that I do, is her fault. That's the thing. She gets mad at me because she thinks I'm too uncensored, and I shouldn't say things that alienate people. You heard her now. She's probably going to have the entire Lohan family after her. They're going to put a hit out on her."

Griffin asked her mom what she knew about Wilkes-Barre, who replied she didn't know much about it, but she was sure it's very lovely.

In preparation for her performance, Griffin asked for the inside scoop on any weather-related television news mishaps or political scandals in the area.

"When you play as many cities as I do, you really want to bring some local flavor to every show, and every show I do is different," she said.

The multi-faceted performer started her path to fame at the Los Angeles Groundlings comedy improvisational troupe, landing guest starring roles on television series like "ER" and "Seinfeld." She spent four years on the NBC sitcom "Suddenly Susan" and starred in HBO and Bravo comedy specials.

For the past few years, She's rung in the New Year with Anderson Cooper for CNN's New Year's Eve broadcast.

Her reality show, Bravo's "Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List," earned her two Emmy Awards for outstanding reality program. Her mother, Maggie Griffin, appeared both in that show and on her daughter's late night talk show on Bravo, "Kathy."

One of her biggest accomplishments came earlier this year - she won the 2014 Grammy Award for best comedy album for "Calm Down Gurrl." She's the third female comedian to win the award solo, following Whoopi Goldberg in 1986 and Lily Tomlin in 1972.

While she's proud to win the award, Griffin said she's disappointed to be only the third woman to win it.

"So, no sexism exists anymore at all, right? I'm just being bitter. I hate when people say that there's no more sexism, or it's just as easy for female comedians, or chicks aren't funny. Come on, in the history of the Grammys, only three women have won 'Best Comedy Album?'" Griffin said. "And I was nominated six times before I finally won this year."

Griffin wore a Roberto Cavalli dress to the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, which landed her on a worst dressed list. Still, she had the last laugh.

"It was so funny to hear, well, one day you're on the worst-dressed list again, and the next minute, that the Grammy museum wants your dress since you're the first woman to win since 1986," Griffin said. "So I said, luckily it's stretchy, and can fit on a mannequin."

The comedian had issues with another dress she had donated - in fact, someone may be out there wearing it right now.

"This makes me feel very famous. I have a wax figure at Madame Tussads (in Las Vegas), and someone stole my dress. I swear to God," Griffin said. "I gave them this really beautiful red Dolce and Gabbana gown that I had hosted an awards show in. They had to take it apart and put velcro to get it on the mannequin."

She found out the dress was gone after a fan tweeted a photo of themselves with the figure, "and there was like a $20 mall dress on it," Griffin said.

"I'm actually going to try to call Madame Tussads in Las Vegas and go, 'Okay, look. I'm going to give you another dress. A real dress that I wore. And I'm going to keep track of that damn dress. I can't keep giving you Dolce and Gabbana gowns, and somebody just leaves with them," Griffin said.

"I'm just laughing thinking there's somebody walking around Las Vegas in a velcro, long red Dolce and Gabbana gown. Maybe somebody had a gambling debt, I don't know."

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.